THIS FACULTY IS NO CLASS CLOWN!

by Jason R. Hewlett

A few weeks back I ragged on "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" and tried to come up with reasons why it sucked while its' predecessor and several other new horror films didn't. I now have the answer: it's all in the talent involved and the new thriller "The Faculty" is a perfect case study.

First off: "The Faculty" is good! Quite good actually. Actually, I really had a good time. It's funny and offers a few good jolts (and neat gore) plus some nifty special effects. It's basically a turn on "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" expect for the teen-age set and it works. To review a movie like this it has to be judged on what it is: a schlocky horror/sci-fi flick designed to scare and entertain and it does both.

However, movies like this can suck (anyone seen "Oblivion?" Didn't think so. Smart bunch!) and suck bad but this one doesn't. Okay..why?

Well, it's written by Kevin Williamson, the man behind "Scream" and the original "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and the guy is good. He knows horror movies inside and out and he can create scenes that just work. "The Faculty" opens with a "Scream"esgue teaser where Coach Willis (played but "T2"'s Robert Patrick) chases Principle Drake (Bebe Neuwirth) through a school at night with the intent on killing her. We've seen scenes like this a dozen times before and it's by the numbers but it works. His scripts are smart too. He makes pop culture references to several other films of the genre and even offers a riff that movies and literature like "The Puppet Masters" and "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" are really conjured up by aliens to make people believe that such concepts are fiction and thus hiding the truth about their existence. I also found it clever that anyone taken over by the alien bad guys acted like overly friendly, politically correct, bottled-water drinking zombies. How many people like that do you know? It's pretty amusing and cool the stuff that this man comes up with. Hopefully his schtick won't get old and tired like Tarantino's is getting.

One also has to give credit to the director, Robert Rodriguez. He knows how to make a good film too. His pacing is tight and fast and he knows how to make the humor and silliness of the script shine through without it overpowering the film. Having cut his teeth on "El Mariachi" and "Desperado" he also knows how to handle action scenes and suspense. He's a very good director.

Also, Dimension Films, who released the movie, also has to get credit. They've put out most of the best horror films in recent memory including "Halloween: H2O," "Mimic," and "Phantoms" and I hope they keep up the good work. They're also good at getting talented actors to star in their films...films most actors of this caliber wouldn't be caught dead in. Aside from Neuworth we've got Elijah Wood, Piper Laurie, and Bond villain Famke Jannsen...who deserve credit for doing her best not to look stunning!

If you're into seeing a Holiday movie that isn't all sugary sweet and "peace on earth and goodwill to mankind" give "The Faculty" a whirl. Just a warning though: you'll either really dig it or find it really dumb. I dug it!

8 out of 10!